BAUTISTA URGES OLD GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS IN QC TO RETROFIT

The reality of earthquakes and the presence of the West Valley Faultline along a portion of Quezon City underscore the urgency of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista’s directive to all government offices in the city to assess the structural integrity of their buildings to make sure these are disaster resilient.

Speaking at the Kalikasan GP3 press conference at the Laguna Lake Development Authority Building last April 24, 2015, the Mayor said that building owners, especially government, must doubly ensure the safety of their occupants and the general public, by engaging professionals to examine their structures. “Many of the government buildings in Quezon City are decades old. If these have to retrofitted, then this must be addressed immediately.” Leading by example, Bautista said that the Quezon City Hall high-rise building, which was built in the 1960s, and the legislative building, shall be undergoing retrofitting design in the next few months.

In addition, all buildings in Quezon City must adhere to Green Building standards. In 2009, the Quezon City government approved and enacted Ordinance No. SP-1917, the “Green Building Ordinance of 2009”, which necessitates that all buildings in the city must follow minimum standards of green infrastructure in their design and construction. For old buildings, this could require retrofitting and redesign. Infrastructures that are covered by the Green Building Ordinance of 2009 include commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. According to the National Building Code, these are hotels, office buildings, malls, dry markets, wet markers and slaughterhouses, schools, hospitals, factories and warehouses.

According to the Mayor, the ordinance and other environment management initiatives being implemented by Quezon City form part of the city’s contribution in protecting the eco-system and in mitigating the impact of climate change.

“The city government is determined to institutionalize eco-friendly systems and technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions from buildings and other structures in our city,” the Mayor said. (Precy)